Last year, YOURS had the pleasure of attending the European Youth Forum for Road Safety in Brussels, Belgium. YOURS helped chair a road safety workshop as well as giving a presentation about the global youth network for road safety.
Looking back at the last decade in regards to road safety action, European youngsters and youth NGOs have proven their professionalism through several awareness campaigns and their will to take part in the European collaborations to save lives on the world’s roads. Supported by the European Commission since the creation of the European Youth Forum for Road Safety, youth delegates have committed to follow up and help the European Commission reaching their new goal proposed by the European Road Safety Policy Orientations 2011-2020, aiming to cut European road deaths by 50% by 2020.
Last year’s 3rd Edition of the Forum showed a strong will from all participating European youngsters and NGO’s to implement common actions on the field and to benefit from effective road safety tools. Moreover, support from the European Commission enabled the forum to reach a maximum of youngsters through cost-efficient campaigns.
The 4th Edition of the EU Youth Forum for Road Safety 2011 will aim to help national/local NGO’s to continue the development of the Common European road safety awareness campaigns launched during the first edition with their autonomy and to draw the attention of European Road Safety Stakeholders through the redaction of a road safety youth declaration aimed at lobbying Europe for better support within the new Decade of Action 2011-2020 (based on the previous Youth Declaration created by YOURS – Youth For Road Safety in Moscow in November 2009).
Furthermore, on the 20th of July 2010, the European Commission has adopted challenging plans to reduce the number of road deaths on Europe’s roads by half in the next 10 years. The Forum will therefore highlight initiatives proposed in a set of European Road Safety Policy Orientations 2011-2020 which all encompassing, ranging from setting higher standards for vehicle safety, to improving the training of road users and increasing the enforcement of road rules. The Commission will work closely with Member States to implement this programme.
All the Delegates who participated last year will of course be conveyed to the event and receive an invitation email very soon in order to keep to ensure the EU Youth Forum continuity all through the decade…